Method of producing lithium niobate single crystal substrate

ABSTRACT

A method of producing an LN substrate by using an LN single crystal grown by the Czochralski process, in which a lithium niobate single crystal having a Fe concentration of 50 mass ppm or more and 2000 mass ppm or less in the single crystal and being in a form of an ingot is buried in an Al powder or a mixed powder of Al and Al2O3, and heat-treated at a temperature of 450° C. or more and less than 660° C., which is a melting point of aluminum, to produce a lithium niobate single crystal substrate having a volume resistivity controlled to be within a range of 1×108 Ω·cm or more to 2×1012 Ω·cm or less.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a lithium niobate single crystal substrate used in surface acoustic wave devices and the like, and more particularly to a method of producing a lithium niobate single crystal substrate that is unlikely to cause a decrease in yield in device fabrication processes.

BACKGROUND ART

Lithium niobate (LiNbO₃: hereinafter, abbreviated as LN) single crystals are artificial ferroelectric crystals having a melting point of approximately 1250° C. and a Curie temperature of approximately 1140° C. In addition, a lithium niobate single crystal substrate (hereinafter, referred to as an LN substrate) made of LN single crystals is utilized as a material for a surface acoustic wave device (SAW filter) used for removing noises from electrical signals used mainly in mobile communications devices.

The SAW filter has a structure in which a comb electrode is formed of a metal thin film of an AlCu alloy or the like on a substrate formed of a piezoelectric material such as an LN single crystal. This comb electrode plays an important role that affects the properties of the device. In addition, the comb electrode is formed by first forming a metal thin film on a piezoelectric material by a sputtering method or the like, and then etching and removing an unnecessary portion while leaving a comb pattern by a photolithographic technique.

In addition, the LN single crystal, serving as the material for the SAW filter, is industrially obtained by the Czochralski process, in which the LN single crystal is generally grown in an electric furnace having an atmosphere of a nitrogen-oxygen mixed gas in which the concentration of oxygen is approximately 20% by using a platinum crucible, and then cooled at a predetermined cooling rate in the electric furnace, and thereafter taken out of the electric furnace.

The LN single crystal thus grown is colorless and transparent or takes on a pale yellow color with a high transparency. After the growth, to remove residual strain due to the thermal stress during the growth, the LN single crystal is subjected to heat treatment under soaking at a temperature close to its melting point, and is subjected to poling treatment for obtaining single polarity, that is, to a series of treatments in which the temperature of the LN single crystal is increased from room temperature to a predetermined temperature of the Curie temperature or more, a voltage is then applied to the single crystal, and the temperature of the LN single crystal is decreased to a predetermined temperature of the Curie temperature or less while keeping applying the voltage, thereafter, the application of the voltage is stopped, and the LN single crystal is cooled down to room temperature. After the poling treatment, the LN single crystal (ingot), which has been abraded on its peripheral surface (cylindrically) in order to adjust the external shape of the single crystal, undergoes machining such as slicing, lapping, and polishing steps to become a wafer-shaped LN substrate. The LN substrate finally obtained is substantially colorless and transparent, and has a volume resistivity of approximately 1×10¹⁵ Ω·cm or more.

The LN substrate obtained by such a conventional method has a problem of pyroelectric breakdown in the process of manufacturing the SAW filter. The pyroelectric breakdown is a phenomenon in which due to the pyroelectric property, which is one of properties of the LN single crystal, electrical charge is charged up on the surface of the LN substrate because of the change in temperature applied by the process, and generates sparks, which cause the comb electrode formed on the surface of the LN substrate to broken, and further cause crack and the like to be generated in the LN substrate. The pyroelectric breakdown is a major factor of causing a decrease in yield in the device fabrication process. In addition, the high light transmittance of the substrate causes also a problem that light transmitted through the substrate in the photolithographic process, which is one of the device fabrication processes, is reflected at the back surface of the substrate to return the front surface, causing the resolution of the formed pattern to deteriorate.

In view of this, to solve this problem, Patent Document 1 proposes a method in which an LN substrate (wafer) which is cut out from an ingot is exposed to a chemical reducing atmosphere of a gas selected from argon, water, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and oxygen, as well as combinations of these at a temperature within a range of 500 to 1140° C. to be blackened to lower the volume resistivity of the LN substrate, thereby reducing the pyroelectric property. Note that performing the above-described heat treatment causes the LN crystal, which has been colorless and transparent, to become colored and opaque. Since the color tone of the colored and opaque crystal then observed looks brown to black with a transmitted light, the phenomenon in which a crystal becomes colored and opaque is herein referred to as “blackening”. It is considered that the blackening phenomenon occurs because oxygen defects (voids) are introduced into the LN substrate by the reduction treatment and a color center is thus formed. It is considered that the change in volume resistivity occurs because the valence of Nb ions changes from 5+ to 4+ and free electrons emitted from Nb ions increase in the substrate to compensate for deviation of the charge balance due to the generation of oxygen defects. Accordingly, the degree of blackening and the resistivity are substantially proportional to each other.

Meanwhile, since the method described in Patent Document 1 includes heating the LN substrate to a high temperature of 500° C. or more, the treatment time is short; however, variations are likely to occur in blackening between treatment batches. In addition, color non-uniformity due to the blackening, that is, in-plane distribution of resistivity is likely to occur in the heat-treated substrate. Thus, there is a problem that a decrease in yield in the device fabrication process still cannot be sufficiently prevented.

For this reason, as a method to solve the above-described problems, Patent Document 2 proposes a method in which an LN substrate is heat-treated at a low temperature of 300° C. or more and less than 500° C. in a state where the LN substrate is buried in a powder formed of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Si, Ca, Mg, and C.

CONVENTIONAL ART DOCUMENTS Patent Documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application

Publication No. 11-92147 (see paragraph 0016, 0018, and 0028)

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application

Publication No. 2005-179177 (see paragraph 0023 and 0025)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the Invention

In addition, the method described in Patent Document 2 has been a method that is surely capable of providing an LN substrate in which color non-uniformity due to blackening, that is, in-plane distribution of volume resistivity is small and the pyroelectric property is suppressed, by using a simple device because the treatment temperature is as low as less than 500° C.

However, since the LN single crystal (having a melting point of 1250° C.) has such a property as to be more easily reduced than a lithium tantalate single crystal (having a melting point of 1650° C.) which is also utilized in the SAW filter, a slight change in treatment conditions largely affects the volume resistivity of the LN crystal (substrate) after the treatment even when the reduction treatment is conducted at a low temperature of less than 500° C. For this reason, in the method described in Patent Document 2, it is required that treatment conditions regarding a temperature, a time, and the like be strictly managed. Moreover, even when the treatment is conducted under strictly managed conditions, there is a likelihood that color non-uniformity due to blackening, which is slight though, that is, in-plane distribution of volume resistivity occur. Thus, there is still room for further improvements in the method described in Patent Document 2.

In addition, since the methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 both recommend the use of a wafer-shaped LN crystal after the slicing step, the steps before reduction heat treatment become complicated and these methods also have a problem that even with substrates machined from the same crystal (ingot), variations in volume resistivity occur among LN substrates after the heat treatment.

The present invention has been made with focus on such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a method of producing an LN substrate which make it possible to ease the management of treatment conditions regarding a temperature, a time, and the like, and in which color non-uniformity due to blackening, that is, in-plane distribution of volume resistivity is small, and also variations in volume resistivity are extremely small among substrates machined from the same crystal (ingot).

Means for Solving the Problems

In view of this, the present inventors grew an LN single crystal containing a trace of Fe and attempted experiments of reducing the LN single crystal. According to this, the present inventors confirmed that the LN crystal containing Fe had a property that it was less likely to be reduced than an LN crystal not containing Fe, and further found that the higher the content of Fe contained in the crystal is, the less likely the LN crystal is to be reduced substantially in proportion. The present invention has been completed based on such findings.

Specifically, a first aspect of the present invention is a method of producing a lithium niobate single crystal substrate by using a lithium niobate single crystal grown by the Czochralski process, wherein a lithium niobate single crystal having a Fe concentration of 50 mass ppm or more and 2000 mass ppm or less in the single crystal and being in a form of an ingot is buried in an Al powder or a mixed powder of Al and Al₂O₃, and heat-treated at a temperature of 450° C. or more and less than 660° C., which is a melting point of aluminum, to produce a lithium niobate single crystal substrate having a volume resistivity controlled to be within a range of 1×10⁸ Ω·cm or more to 2×10¹² Ω·cm or less.

In addition, a second aspect of the present invention is the method of producing a lithium niobate single crystal substrate described in the first aspect, wherein the lithium niobate single crystal being in the form of an ingot to be heat-treated is a lithium niobate single crystal ingot after growth of the single crystal and until after cylindrical abrading process.

A third aspect of the present invention is the method of producing a lithium niobate single crystal substrate described in the second aspect, wherein a surface roughness of the lithium niobate single crystal ingot after the cylindrical abrading process is 0.2 μm or more and 2 μm or less in arithmetic average roughness Ra.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is the method of producing a lithium niobate single crystal substrate described in any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the heat treatment is conducted in a vacuum atmosphere or in a reduced-pressure atmosphere of an inert gas.

Moreover, a fifth aspect of the present invention is the method of producing a lithium niobate single crystal substrate described in any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the heat treatment is conducted for 10 hours or more.

Effects of the Invention

According to the method of producing a lithium niobate single crystal substrate of the present invention, since a lithium niobate single crystal having a Fe concentration of 50 mass ppm or more and 2000 mass ppm or less in the single crystal and being in the form of an ingot is buried in an Al powder or a mixed powder of Al and Al₂O₃, and heat-treated at a temperature of 450° C. or more and less than 660° C., which is the melting point of aluminum, it is possible to stably produce a lithium niobate single crystal substrate in which a volume resistivity after the reduction treatment is controlled to be within a range of 1×10⁸ Ω·cm or more to 2×10¹² Ω·cm or less, an in-plane distribution of the volume resistivity is small, and also variations in volume resistivity are small among substrates machined from the same crystal (ingot).

MODES FOR PRACTICING THE INVENTION

The present invention is described below in detail.

(1) Volume Resistivity and Pyroelectric Effect (Pyroelectric Property) of LN Single Crystal

The LN single crystal changes in volume resistivity and color (light transmittance spectrum) in accordance with the concentration of oxygen defects present in the crystal. Specifically, once oxygen defects are introduced into the LN single crystal, the valence of part of Nb ions changes from 5+ to 4+ due to the necessity of compensating for the charge balance due to the defects of oxygen ions with a valence of −2, causing the volume resistivity to change. In addition, a color center attributable to the oxygen defects is generated to cause absorption of light.

The change in volume resistivity is considered to occur because electrons, which are carriers, migrate between Nb⁵⁺ ions and Nb⁴⁺ ions. The volume resistivity of the crystal is determined by the product of the number of carriers per unit volume and the mobility of the carriers. If the mobility is the same, the volume resistivity is proportional to the number of oxygen voids. Color change due to the absorption of light is considered to be caused by a color center which is formed due to electrons in a metastable state captured in oxygen defects.

The above-described control on the number of oxygen voids may be conducted by so-called heat treatment in atmosphere. The concentration of oxygen voids in the crystal placed at a specific temperature changes in a manner of coming into equilibrium with the oxygen potential (oxygen concentration) of the atmosphere in which the crystal is placed. If the oxygen concentration of the atmosphere becomes lower than the equilibrium concentration, the concentration of oxygen voids in the crystal increases. In addition, increasing the temperature with a constant oxygen concentration of the atmosphere allows the concentration of oxygen voids to increase even when the oxygen concentration of the atmosphere is made lower than the equilibrium concentration. Accordingly, to make the concentration of oxygen voids higher to enhance the opacity, the temperature may be set higher and the oxygen concentration of the atmosphere may be made lower.

Since the LN single crystal has a strong ion-binding property, the voids disperse at a relatively high speed. However, the change in the concentration of oxygen voids requires the in-crystal dispersion of oxygen, and hence, the crystal needs to be retained in the atmosphere for a certain period of time. This speed of dispersion depends greatly on the temperature, and the concentration of oxygen voids does not change in an actual period of time at near room temperature. Accordingly, to obtain an opaque LN crystal in a short period of time, the crystal needs to be retained in an atmosphere having a low oxygen concentration at a temperature that allows a sufficient oxygen dispersion speed to be achieved. Cooling down the crystal promptly after the treatment allows the crystal in which the concentration of oxygen voids introduced at a high temperature is maintained to be obtained at room temperature.

Here, the pyroelectric effect (pyroelectric property) is attributable to the deformation of lattice caused by change in temperature of the crystal. It is understood that in a crystal having electric dipoles, the pyroelectric effect occurs because the distance between the dipoles changes depending on the temperature. The pyroelectric effect occurs only in materials having high electrical resistances. The displacement of ions causes an electrical charge in the dipole direction on the surface of the crystal. However, in a material having a low electrical resistance, this electrical charge is neutralized because of the electrical conductivity possessed by the crystal itself. Since a normal transparent LN single crystal has a volume resistivity at the level of 1×10¹⁵ Ω·cm as described above, the pyroelectric effect is markedly exhibited. However, a blackened opaque LN single crystal has a volume resistivity significantly decreased by several orders of magnitude, and accordingly, the electrical charge is neutralized within a very short period of time, so that the pyroelectric property is no longer exhibited.

(2) Method of Producing LN Substrate According to the Present Invention

The method described in Patent Document 1, which aims to decrease the pyroelectric property of an LN substrate, has problems that since the LN substrate is heated to a high temperature of 500° C. or more as described above, although the treatment time is short, variations are likely to occur in blackening between treatment batches, and color non-uniformity due to the blackening, that is, in-plane distribution of resistivity occurs in the heat-treated substrate, and also since the heat treatment on wafers after the slicing step is recommended, variations in resistivity occur among LN substrates.

In addition, the method described in Patent Document 2, which aims to solve the problems of Patent Document 1, is a method that makes it possible to provide an LN substrate in which color non-uniformity due to blackening, that is, in-plane distribution of volume resistivity is small and the pyroelectric property is suppressed, because the treatment temperature is as low as less than 500° C.

Nonetheless, since the LN single crystal (having a melting point of 1250° C.) has such a property as to be more easily reduced than a lithium tantalate single crystal (LT single crystal), which has a melting point of 1650° C., and a slight change in treatment conditions affects the volume resistivity of the LN substrate after the treatment, the method described in Patent Document 2 requires that the treatment conditions be strictly managed and there is still room for further improvements.

In the meantime, the results of experiments conducted by the present inventors revealed that the reducibility (reduction easiness) of the LN single crystal is decreased (made difficult to be reduced) by adding a trace of Fe into the crystal, and the reducibility of the LN single crystal is further decreased as the content of Fe increases.

Specifically, the method of producing an LN substrate according to the present invention has been made with attention to the above-described reducibility of the LN single crystal, and is characterized in that the method produces an LN substrate having a volume resistivity controlled to be within a range of 1×10⁸ Ω·cm or more to 2×10¹² Ω·cm or less by heat-treating an LN single crystal having a Fe concentration of 50 mass ppm or more and 2000 mass ppm or less in the single crystal and being in a form of an ingot in a reducing atmosphere.

Note that the LN single crystal to be heat-treated is preferably a LN single crystal in the form of an ingot after the poling step. It is possible to reduce an LN single crystal also by heat-treating an ingot before the poling step. However, an LN single crystal sensitively reacts with oxygen in a heat-treatment atmosphere and its volume resistivity varies as described above. For this reason, if the reduction heat treatment is conducted before the poling step, it becomes necessary to strictly control the oxygen potential of the heat-treatment atmosphere to which the ingot is exposed when the poling treatment is conducted thereafter.

In addition, the heat treatment on the LN single crystal to which a trace of Fe has been added is conducted by using a metal Al powder having a low free energy of oxide formation in order to promote the reduction reaction of the LN single crystal. Specifically, the LN single crystal in the form of an ingot to which a trace of Fe has been added is buried in a metal Al powder or a mixed powder of a metal Al powder and an Al₂O₃ powder, and is heat-treated. Here, the heating temperature for the LN single crystal is 450° C. or more and less than 660° C., which is a melting point of aluminum. Note that since a higher heating temperature causes the blackening to progress in a shorter period of time, and increases a variation in volume resistivity between treatment batches, a preferable temperature is within a range from 500° C. to less than 600° C. In addition, the atmosphere for the heat treatment is preferably vacuum or an inert gas (such as a nitrogen gas or an argon gas), and the treatment time is preferably 10 hours or more. Further, it is preferable to use an ingot abraded cylindrically such that the arithmetic average roughness Ra of the surface of the LN single crystal is set at 0.2 μm or more and 2 μm or less in order to increase the surface area of the LN single crystal in the form of an ingot to promote its reduction reaction.

Moreover, as the most preferable conditions with the controllability of the treatment step, the properties of the finally obtained substrate, the uniformity of these properties, the reproducibility, and the like taken into consideration, it is effective to use a cylindrically abraded LN single crystal ingot subjected to poling treatment, to bury the ingot in a mixed powder of Al and Al₂O₃, and to perform the heat treatment in an atmosphere of an inert gas such as a nitrogen gas or an argon gas or in an atmosphere like vacuum. Note that, the vacuum atmosphere is more desirable than the inert gas atmosphere because the vacuum atmosphere allows the blackening treatment of the LN substrate in a relatively shorter period of time.

(3) Method of Judging the Effect of the “Heat Treatment” According to the Present Invention

As a practical method of judging the effect of the “heat treatment”, that is, whether no pyroelectric property is observed in an LN substrate, a heat cycle test in which temperature changes which the LN substrate undergoes are simulated to occur is useful. Specifically, the LN substrate obtained by slicing an ingot subjected to heat treatment (blackening treatment) is placed on a hot plate heated to 80° C., and heat cycle is applied to the LN substrate. As a result, in the case of the LN substrate which has not been subjected to the blackening treatment, a high potential of 10 kV or more is generated on the surface of the LN substrate, and sparks are observed. On the other hand, in the case of the LN substrate which has been blackened by the “heat treatment” according to the present invention, the surface potential of the LN substrate is only at the level of up to several hundred V, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the LN substrate is not observed at all. Therefore, the judgment on whether the LN substrate has been blackened or not is useful as a practical method of judging the pyroelectric property.

EXAMPLES

Next, Examples of the present invention are specifically described also by giving Comparative Examples.

Example 1

A Fe-doped LN single crystal having a diameter of 4 inches was grown by the Czochralski process using a raw material having a congruent composition. The growth atmosphere was a nitrogen-oxygen mixed gas having an oxygen concentration of approximately 20%. The concentration of Fe doped in the crystal was set at 50 ppm. The crystal thus obtained was red in color.

This crystal was subjected to the heat treatment for removing the residual thermal strain under soaking and the poling treatment for making it single-polarized. Thereafter, the crystal was subjected to abrading process on its peripheral surface (cylindrical abrading) in order to adjust the external shape of the crystal.

The LN crystal ingot thus obtained was buried in an Al powder, and was then heat-treated at 600° C. for 20 hours in a vacuum atmosphere.

The ingot after the heat treatment was sliced into a wafer-shaped LN substrate. The LN substrate thus obtained was dark green brown in color, had a volume resistivity of approximately 1.2×10⁹ Ω·cm, and the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the plane of the substrate was less than 3%. In addition, it was also visually observed that color non-uniformity did not occur. Here, Ave is an average value of volume resistivities measured at one point in the center portion and four points on the outer peripheral portion, five points in the surface in total, of the substrate, and σ is a standard deviation of these. Note that the volume resistivity was measured by the three-terminal method according to JIS K-6911.

Next, a heat cycle test was conducted in which the LN substrate kept at room temperature was placed on an 80° C. hot plate. As a result, the surface potential generated immediately after the substrate was placed on the hot plate was 60 V or less, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the LN substrate was not observed.

In addition, the LN substrate thus obtained had a Curie temperature of 1140° C., and values of the physical properties that affect the properties of SAW filters were not different from those of conventional products that have not been subjected to the blackening treatment.

Example 2

The heat treatment and the slicing process after the heat treatment were conducted under substantially the same conditions as those in Example 1 except that the concentration of Fe doped in the LN crystal was changed to 2000 ppm.

The LN substrate thus obtained was dark green brown in color, had a volume resistivity of approximately 5.3×10⁹ Ω·cm, and the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the plane of the substrate was less than 3%. It was also visually observed that color non-uniformity did not occur.

In addition, in the heat cycle test, the surface potential generated immediately after the LN substrate was placed on the hot plate was 100 V or less, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the LN substrate was not observed.

Example 3

The heat treatment and the slicing process after the heat treatment were conducted under substantially the same conditions as those in Example 1 except that the LN crystal ingot was buried in a mixed powder of 10% by mass of Al and 90% by mass of Al₂O₃.

The LN substrate thus obtained was dark green brown in color, had a volume resistivity of approximately 3.9×10⁹ Ω·cm, and the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the plane of the substrate was less than 3%. It was also visually observed that color non-uniformity did not occur.

In addition, in the heat cycle test, the surface potential generated immediately after the LN substrate was placed on the hot plate was 90 V or less, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the LN substrate was not observed.

Example 4

The heat treatment and the slicing process after the heat treatment were conducted under substantially the same conditions as those in Example 1 except that the concentration of Fe doped in the LN crystal was changed to 2000 ppm and the LN crystal ingot was buried in a mixed powder of 10% by mass of Al and 90% by mass of Al₂O₃.

The LN substrate thus obtained was brown in color, had a volume resistivity of approximately 1.9×10¹⁰ Ω·cm, and the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the plane of the substrate was less than 3%. It was also visually observed that color non-uniformity did not occur.

In addition, in the heat cycle test, the surface potential generated immediately after the LN substrate was placed on the hot plate was 120 V or less, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the LN substrate was not observed.

Example 5

The heat treatment and the slicing process after the heat treatment were conducted under substantially the same conditions as those in Example 1 except that the treatment temperature was changed to 450° C. and the treatment time was changed to 80 hours.

The LN substrate thus obtained was dark green brown in color, had a volume resistivity of approximately 1.1×10¹¹ Ω·cm, and the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the plane of the substrate was less than 3%. It was also visually observed that color non-uniformity did not occur.

In addition, in the heat cycle test, the surface potential generated immediately after the LN substrate was placed on the hot plate was 150 V or less, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the LN substrate was not observed.

Example 6

The heat treatment and the slicing process after the heat treatment were conducted under substantially the same conditions as those in Example 2 except that the treatment temperature was changed to 450° C. and the treatment time was changed to 80 hours.

The LN substrate thus obtained was dark green brown in color, had a volume resistivity of approximately 4.8×10¹¹ Ω·cm, and the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the plane of the substrate was less than 3%. It was also visually observed that color non-uniformity did not occur.

In addition, in the heat cycle test, the surface potential generated immediately after the LN substrate was placed on the hot plate was 190 V or less, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the LN substrate was not observed.

Example 7

The heat treatment and the slicing process after the heat treatment were conducted under substantially the same conditions as those in Example 3 except that the atmosphere was changed to a nitrogen gas atmosphere as well as the treatment temperature was changed to 450° C. and the treatment time was changed to 80 hours.

The LN substrate thus obtained was dark green brown in color, had a volume resistivity of approximately 4.5×10¹¹ Ω·cm, and the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the plane of the substrate was less than 3%. It was also visually observed that color non-uniformity did not occur.

In addition, in the heat cycle test, the surface potential generated immediately after the LN substrate was placed on the hot plate was 190 V or less, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the LN substrate was not observed.

Example 8

The heat treatment and the slicing process after the heat treatment were conducted under substantially the same conditions as those in Example 4 except that the treatment temperature was changed to 450° C. and the treatment time was changed to 80 hours.

The LN substrate thus obtained was dark green brown in color, had a volume resistivity of approximately 1.6×10¹² Ω·cm, and the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the plane of the substrate was less than 3%. It was also visually observed that color non-uniformity did not occur.

In addition, in the heat cycle test, the surface potential generated immediately after the LN substrate was placed on the hot plate was 220 V or less, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the LN substrate was not observed.

Example 9

The heat treatment and the slicing process after the heat treatment were conducted under substantially the same conditions as those in Example 1 except that the treatment temperature was changed to 650° C. and the treatment time was changed to 10 hours.

The LN substrate thus obtained was dark green brown in color, had a volume resistivity of approximately 1.0×10⁸ Ω·cm, and the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the plane of the substrate was less than 3%. It was also visually observed that color non-uniformity did not occur.

In addition, in the heat cycle test, the surface potential generated immediately after the LN substrate was placed on the hot plate was 10 V or less, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the LN substrate was not observed.

Example 10

The heat treatment and the slicing process after the heat treatment were conducted under substantially the same conditions as those in Example 2 except that the treatment temperature was changed to 650° C. and the treatment time was changed to 10 hours.

The LN substrate thus obtained was dark green brown in color, had a volume resistivity of approximately 4.5×10⁸ Ω·cm, and the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the plane of the substrate was less than 3%. It was also visually observed that color non-uniformity did not occur.

In addition, in the heat cycle test, the surface potential generated immediately after the LN substrate was placed on the hot plate was 40 V or less, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the LN substrate was not observed.

Example 11

The heat treatment and the slicing process after the heat treatment were conducted under substantially the same conditions as those in Example 3 except that the treatment temperature was changed to 650° C. and the treatment time was changed to 10 hours.

The LN substrate thus obtained was dark green brown in color, had a volume resistivity of approximately 3.7×10⁸ Ω·cm, and the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the plane of the substrate was less than 3%. It was also visually observed that color non-uniformity did not occur.

In addition, in the heat cycle test, the surface potential generated immediately after the LN substrate was placed on the hot plate was 40 V or less, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the LN substrate was not observed.

Example 12

The heat treatment and the slicing process after the heat treatment were conducted under substantially the same conditions as those in Example 4 except that the treatment temperature was changed to 650° C. and the treatment time was changed to 10 hours.

The LN substrate thus obtained was dark green brown in color, had a volume resistivity of approximately 1.7×10⁹ Ω·cm, and the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the plane of the substrate was less than 3%. It was also visually observed that color non-uniformity did not occur.

In addition, in the heat cycle test, the surface potential generated immediately after the LN substrate was placed on the hot plate was 70 V or less, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the LN substrate was not observed.

Example 13

The heat treatment was conducted under substantially the same conditions as those in Example 8 except that the atmosphere was changed to a nitrogen gas atmosphere.

The LN substrate thus obtained was dark green brown in color, had a volume resistivity of approximately 2.0×10¹² Ω·cm, and the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the plane of the substrate was less than 3%. It was also visually observed that color non-uniformity did not occur.

In addition, in the heat cycle test, the surface potential generated immediately after the LN substrate was placed on the hot plate was 230 V or less, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the LN substrate was not observed.

Example 14

The heat treatment was conducted under substantially the same conditions as those in Example 9 except that the atmosphere was changed to a nitrogen gas atmosphere.

The LN substrate thus obtained was dark green brown in color, had a volume resistivity of approximately 1.5×10⁸ Ω·cm, and the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the plane of the substrate was less than 3%. It was also visually observed that color non-uniformity did not occur.

In addition, in the heat cycle test, the surface potential generated immediately after the LN substrate was placed on the hot plate was 20 V or less, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the LN substrate was not observed.

Comparative Example 1

A LN single crystal having a diameter of 4 inches was grown by the Czochralski process using a raw material having a congruent composition. The growth atmosphere was a nitrogen-oxygen mixed gas having an oxygen concentration of approximately 20%. The crystal thus obtained was pale yellow in color.

This crystal was subjected to the heat treatment for removing the residual strain under soaking and the poling treatment for making it single-polarized. Thereafter, the crystal was abraded on its peripheral surface in order to adjust the external shape of the crystal, and then sliced into a substrate.

The LN substrate thus obtained was heat-treated at 600° C. for 1 minute in nitrogen.

The LN substrate after the heat treatment was brown in color, but it was visually observed that color non-uniformity occurred.

As inferred from the fact that color non-uniformity occurred, although the average of measured values of volume resistivity in the plane of the LN substrate was approximately 1×10¹¹ Ω·cm, there were variations (σ/Ave) of approximately 30% at some measured spots.

In addition, in the heat cycle test, the surface potential generated immediately after the LN substrate was placed on the hot plate was 150 V or less, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the LN substrate was not observed.

Comparative Example 2

A transparent pale yellow LN single crystal having a diameter of 4 inches was grown in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1, and an LN substrate was produced in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1.

The LN substrate thus obtained was buried in an aluminum (Al) powder, and was then heat-treated at 480° C. for 1 hour in a vacuum atmosphere.

The LN substrate after the heat treatment was brown in color, had a volume resistivity of approximately 1×10¹² Ω·cm, and the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the plane of the substrate was less than 3% as in the case of Examples. It was also visually observed that color non-uniformity did not occur.

Next, a heat cycle test was conducted in which the substrate kept at room temperature was placed on an 80° C. hot plate. As a result, the surface potential generated immediately after the substrate was placed on the hot plate was 200 V or less, and the phenomenon of sparking on the surface of the substrate was not observed.

In the meantime, when an LN substrate is heat-treated, conditions regarding the temperature (480° C.) and the time (1 hour) are strictly managed. When this management was neglected, there was a case where slight color non-uniformity was observed in the LN substrate after the treatment and the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the surface was approximately 10%.

TABLE 1 Fe Reducing Temperature (ppm) Agent Atmosphere (° C.) Example 1 50 Al Vacuum 600 Example 2 2000 Al Vacuum 600 Example 3 50 Al + Al₂O₃ Vacuum 600 Example 4 2000 Al + Al₂O₃ Vacuum 600 Example 5 50 Al Vacuum 450 Example 6 2000 Al Vacuum 450 Example 7 50 Al + Al₂O₃ Nitrogen 450 Example 8 2000 Al + Al₂O₃ Vacuum 450 Example 9 50 Al Vacuum 650 Example 10 2000 Al Vacuum 650 Example 11 50 Al + Al₂O₃ Vacuum 650 Example 12 2000 Al + Al₂O₃ Vacuum 650 Example 13 2000 Al + Al₂O₃ Nitrogen 450 Example 14 50 Al Nitrogen 650 Comparative — — Nitrogen 600 Example 1 Comparative — Al Vacuum 480 Example 2 Volume Surface Time Resistivity Potential (Hour) (Ω · cm) (V) Example 1 20 1.2 × 10⁹  60 Example 2 20 5.3 × 10⁹  100 Example 3 20 3.9 × 10⁹  90 Example 4 20 1.9 × 10¹⁰ 120 Example 5 80 1.1 × 10¹¹ 150 Example 6 80 4.8 × 10¹¹ 190 Example 7 80 4.5 × 10¹¹ 190 Example 8 80 1.6 × 10¹² 220 Example 9 10 1.0 × 10⁸  10 Example 10 10 4.5 × 10⁸  40 Example 11 10 3.7 × 10⁸  40 Example 12 10 1.7 × 10⁹  70 Example 13 80 2.0 × 10¹² 230 Example 14 10 1.5 × 10⁸  20 Comparative 1 min. 1.0 × 10¹¹ 150 Example 1 Comparative 1 1.0 × 10¹² 200 Example 2

Evaluation

(1) As acknowledged from the comparison between the volume resistivity (1.5×10⁸ Ω·cm) of the LN substrate according to Example 14 which was heat-treated under substantially the same conditions as those in Example 9 (vacuum atmosphere) except that the atmosphere was changed to a nitrogen gas atmosphere and the volume resistivity (1.0×10⁸ Ω·cm) of the LN substrate according to Example 9 described above, it can be understood that difference in treatment atmosphere, for example, does not greatly affect the volume resistivity of an LN substrate containing Fe.

Actually, as compared with the treatment method described in Patent Document 2 (Comparative Example 2), no great change was observed in the variations (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the surfaces of the LN substrates after the treatment even though the heat treatment conditions were not so strictly managed in Examples 1 to 14.

(2) On the other hand, in Comparative Example 2, it was acknowledged that when the management of the above-described heat treatment conditions was neglected, there was a case where the variation (σ/Ave) in volume resistivity in the plane of the LN substrate after the treatment was approximately 10% as described above.

(3) That is, it is acknowledged that Examples 1 to 14 according to the present invention are superior to the treatment method described in Patent Document 2 (Comparative Example 2).

POSSIBILITY OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION

The present invention makes it possible to stably obtain an LN substrate in which a volume resistivity after reduction treatment is controlled to be within a range of 1×10⁸ Ω·cm or more to 2×10¹² Ω·cm or less, and an in-plane distribution of the volume resistivity is small. Therefore, the present invention has a possibility of industrial application for use as a material for a surface acoustic wave device (SAW filter). 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of producing a lithium niobate single crystal substrate, comprising the steps of: burying a lithium niobate single crystal grown by the Czochralski process, wherein the lithium niobate single crystal has a Fe concentration of 50 mass ppm or more and 2000 mass ppm or less in the single crystal and is in a form of an ingot, in an Al powder or a mixed powder of Al and Al₂O₃, and then heat-treating the buried lithium niobate single crystal at a temperature of 450° C. or more and less than 660° C., which is a melting point of aluminum, to produce the lithium niobate single crystal substrate, which has a volume resistivity controlled to be within a range of 1×10⁸ Ω·cm or more to 2×10¹² Ω·cm or less, wherein the lithium niobate single crystal in the form of an ingot to be heat-treated is prepared by performing a cylindrical abrading process on a lithium niobate single crystal ingot after growth of the single crystal, and wherein a surface roughness of the lithium niobate single crystal ingot after the cylindrical abrading process is 0.2 urn or more and 2 μm or less in arithmetic average roughness Ra.
 2. The method of producing a lithium niobate sing crystal substrate according to claim 1, wherein the heat treatment is conducted in a vacuum atmosphere or in a reduced-pressure atmosphere of an inert gas.
 3. The method of producing a lithium niobate single crystal substrate according to claim 1, wherein the heat treatment is conducted for 10 hours or more.
 4. The method of producing a lithium niobate single crystal substrate according to claim 2, wherein the heat treatment is conducted for 10 hours or more. 